Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Jeremy Mayfield Finds Equal Ground

It is a saga that is one part Talladega Nights and one part Southern Fried Stings. It has NASCAR lawyers, drunk stepmothers and wild allegations. Buzzwords like meth and urine sample clash with aero-push and tight in the middle.

Jeremy Mayfield was supposed to be in the rear-view mirror of NASCAR and fading into the distance right about now. Frozen out of the sport and mired in continuing legal action, Mayfield was yesterday's news.

In February, Mayfield's name suddenly appeared as a featured in-studio guest on SPEED's Race Hub program. This one-hour show airs at 7PM Monday through Thursday and is hosted by SPEED and FOX veteran Steve Byrnes.

Many media outlets, including this one, worked hard to promote the appearance after being told Mayfield would be allowed to speak his mind. It would be a good way to get things settled before Daytona and the beginning of the Sprint Cup Series season. Instead, the result was quite the opposite.

Click here to read a post from Dave Grayson at Racing West.com about the topic.

Here is an excerpt:

WAZZUP with last Tuesday's live television interview with Jeremy Mayfield on the SPEEDs Race Hub program? The promos suggested that the embattled driver was finally going to get to tell his side of the story. What we saw instead was a vague interview that offered nothing new. I truly felt sorry for host Steve Byrnes who had to carefully navigate his way through an interview that was a waste of perfectly good television time.

One had the feeling that Mayfield had been carefully coached by attorneys to be extremely careful regarding comments on his legal issues with NASCAR. "I've got a lot things to say that I can't obviously because of the litigation," he said during the interview. "I don't want to get into any more trouble whatsoever by what I'm saying. It's just hard because, when you're in this situation, there's a lot of anger now and things could come out that wouldn't be good for either one of us. It's tough when you walk around everyday and you get the chance to finally tell your side of the story, there's so much more to it that would really enlighten a lot of things that you just can't tell."

Well, that was Mayfield on TV back in February. Now, he is singing a much different tune. The theme of his current complaint is that SPEED "got the call" after his Race Hub interview was recorded. That call was supposedly from NASCAR.

Mayfield recently referred to the Race Hub situation in a rambling interview at the CaptainThunder.com website. Click here for the entire interview including the audio portion.

Here is an excerpt:

I had a great interview with the SPEED Channel about a month ago with Steve Byrnes, the best one ever. It was going to be great! I couldn't wait for them to air it. It was honest. From his (Byrnes) point of view, he was asking me honest questions that I could answer, he wasn't trying to set me up. Everything was great and then NASCAR gets wind of it.

Paul Brooks (President of the NASCAR Media Group) calls Hunter Nickell (President of SPEED) and says, "If you air this show with Mayfield on it, it's going to jeopardize our relationship." So, they took out everything I said, anything that amounted to anything at all...took it all out and basically made me look like an idiot on TV, like I wasn't saying anything. That's what I'm dealing with.

So, rather than solve a problem as it was originally intended, the Race Hub interview controversy has created another one. This time around, however, something is different. Mayfield has discovered Twitter.

Few communication technologies have impacted NASCAR as much as Twitter. It has established a NASCAR information superhighway that can yield amazing results. Suddenly, Mayfield has a very effective forum to air his complaints about Race Hub and NASCAR.

Although with still a relatively small amount of followers, Mayfield has found a theme that seems to resonate with some fans. He continually points his finger at NASCAR Chairman Brian France as the wizard behind the curtain controlling the action. That ranges from Mayfield's original drug test to the supposedly doctored Race Hub interview.

Now without real access to TV, radio or the mainstream media it should be interesting to watch and see how Twitter works for the Mayfields as they continue to ultimately battle for what they see as justice.

We will keep you posted as the season rolls along. Twitter is free and available to anyone by going to twitter.com or downloading a free mobile app. We welcome your comments on this topic. To add your opinion, just click on the comments button below. Thanks for stopping by The Daly Planet.

I think if all of the media would just ignore this crackpot called Jeremy mayfield, then maybe he will go away after he is not getting the spotlight anymore. These allegations are totally ridiculous and frankly am tired of reading about htem. If he would just be a man and take his medicine like a man and go on he might get some respect.

The question I keep asking myself concerning Jeremy Mayfield is: Why would NASCAR, out of all the people in the world, single out poor ol' Jeremy Mayfield for such an elaborate cloak and dagger conspiracy theroy?

They wouldn't, that's why.

America is a forgiving society. Mr. Mayfield should have adimtted he made a mistake, went thru treatment, started again in ARCA or trucks, and perhaps someone would have taken a chance on him. People love a comeback/redemption story.

But, alas, Mr. Mayfield chose the black helicopter conspiracy route. Sigh...another life lost to denial and playing the blame game.

Good luck, Mr. Mayfield. I hope you can wrestle your demons and have a wonderful life.

There are two things that are quite interesting to me about Jeremy Mayfield's Twitter rants. First, he absolutely RAILS on NASCAR, its employees and administration. He alleges corruption, greed and bias. So where were these allegations when he was making millions of dollars and winning races? If the culture is corrupt, it didn't change overnight. If he feels so strongly about what is so wrong with NASCAR at such a base level, these are things he should have manned up and blew the whistle on -- even when these issues were making him a millionaire, right? And yet, with all these terrible atrocities NASCAR is committing, Mayfield still wants to get back in a Cup car. Must not be that bad, huh?

Also, while he makes a compelling (or at least vulgar) case for himself, he is creating an absolutely acidic PR problem. Let's assume Mayfield is cleared of everything. Take a look at his Twitter feed. What sponsor wants to put its name and logos on someone who cusses out anyone who presents him with a contradicting viewpoint? He's not doing himself any favors. But then again, that's been the case for a few years now.

Unlike what much of sports journalism, or even pure "journalism" itself, has become over the past 25 years or so, I have to say The Daly Planet is as consistently objective as it can possibly be when presenting news stories. And when it isn't being objective it announces that what follows is "opinion." Somebody trained you well and you haven't forgotten. Kudos.

Mayfield brings out some interesting points about the Speed TV interview with Steve during Mayfield's radio interview and did so shortly after it was originally aired. So what was in the radio interview isn't exactly "new" news. It's been out there for several months if you know where to look.

Mayfield also points out he had a urinalysis test done both before and after one of NASCAR's "positive" test. The tests done by Mayfield's independent lab yielded negative results. The tests were done by a nationally recognized lab, Lab Corp, with negative results and yet NASCAR's results were supposedly positive. So how can you have 3 tests done the same day and have 2 negatives and 1 positive unless the positive one is, as Mayfield claims, spiked?

If you do some research on Dr Black and Aegis Labs, you'll find they've been successfully sued for at least one false positive case. You'll also find that Dr Black, who is not a physician, has ties to the NFL drug scapegoat scandal where only certain players were picked out as scapegoats for testing positive for illicit/banned substances while others were allowed to play despite being tested as positive. If you read Dr Black's Congressional testimony in regards to professional wrestling, the WWE, and the deaths of Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit, you'll find he isn't exactly forthcoming with his answers and gave non-answers on several occasions.

There's a lot of information out there that NASCAR doesn't want folks to know about regarding the entire Mayfield deal and because they, NASCAR, do control the media covering NASCAR, fans have to do their own digging to turn up the information.

I'll admit some of Mayfield's claims may sound a bit out there but if you do your own digging you'll find that Mayfield does have a lot of valid points and claims.

It is a place where comments in the past have prevoked NASCAR but that seems to a problem with NASCAR as I believe we all have 1st rights.

Regardless.. I'm not a Mayfield fan but the NASCAR claims of him being on Meth are questionable. Looking at him, would you guess him to look older or younger than his age? A 40 something person using meth as much as NASCAR claims Mayfield of using would look in their 60's. I'm sorry but Mayfield does not show any visable signs of being a "meth head".

I don't know all the answers or all the questions but I have to go with what appears obvious and that Mayfield is not a "Meth Head".

I don't have a horse in this race, but I can play devil's advocate and see valid points on both sides.

If this is all a big "conspiracy" I can see where Mayfield would be a good scapegoat. He wasn't a headliner or someone NASCAR would lose $$ on if he was gone, but it would show the world they were serious when it came to substance abuse.

If this was all true on Mayfield's part, then he could have been back on the track by now if he took the steps they wanted him to.

I would hope we could come to the end of this situation and learn the whole truth. However, I think this is going to go to by wayside with no one the clear cut winner or loser. Maybe whoever can figure out the truth in this mess can figure our where Jimmy Hoffa is and who put him there?!

It's sad the way he has resorted to little more than name calling and conspiracy theories. On Showtime's Inside NASCAR they did a great piece showing everything going on in the officials booth during a race. It's anything but choreographed by Brian France. Mayfield isn't worth anyone's time.

You're ignoring the OTHER side of that coin. Every single abuser in NASCAR has come clean about it and either taken his banishment or tried to clean up

You ramble on about America but what happen to innocent until proven guilty. sure NASCAR has the paper that says hes dirty...but NASCAR also said Tim Richmond was dirty and if youll go watch the ESPN documentary on Tim youll see Bill France jr admitting they screwed up the test.

Furthermore you go on about black helicopers and what not yet it wasnt that long ago Brian France himself was abusing a substance..oh wait he claimed that was a Coke...

All these "fans" so quick to jump on NASCAR's band wagon can't have been "fans" for too long. If they are counting on NASCAR's credibility to judge the Mayfield story then they just don't know NASCAR! They don't know the power and control, the past attempts at harming individuals, the name benevolent dictator has been well earned over the years.I think Jeremy cooked his own goose when he made a big deal in public about Ray and Erin. By the way, think that might be reason enough for Ray to go against Jeremy's statements?I totally agree with "mad man" the whole truth has not been told. There is much left to be told and NASCAR DOES NOT WANT THE TRUTH TO COME OUT! AGAIN!I've been around this sport for a very long time, have held a NASCAR license, have seen NASCAR in action. I certainly won't take their version of events as gospel. I really do want the facts to come out just for the sake of finding the whole truth. I can't believe that Jeremy and his attorneys who evidently aren't being paid, are continuing this fight, this expensive fight, without at least some facts to back them up. Many of us have seen NASCAR use their power and money to harm others before. So lets just let this take its course as it should. Who out there, if innocent, wouldn't continue the fight just as Jeremy is doing and who out there KNOWS he isn't?

Twitter has forced NASCAR to recognize the internet and 21st century. PR from Daytona Beach is no longer the sole voice of the sport. Mayfield & the secret driver fines have forever changed the media aspect of the sanctioning body.

I, too, believe that Jeremy has been the victim here!You don't have to be to smart to realize that France Jr. has an ego the size of the Grand Canyon. If people have been keeping up they would know that France has been in court alot and not just with Jeremy. He has tried to turn the sport into his personal playground to try and top the NFL in popularity and all he has accomplished is the opposite....The sport is in a dismal downtrend and he is to blame.His arrogance is overwhelming and he would be the first to try and push anyone around that doesn't go along with his childish ways. He is a spoiled brat that was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and now he is in a two year temper tantrum because Jeremy wont go away. I like the fact that Jeremy refuses to back down. He has made it clear that he is "all in"

Same ole same ole. Nothing new. Jeremy is good and Brian is Satan. This smacks of Rod Blagojevich. For months on end he says "I can't wait to tell the whole story". "The whole story" he says would "set him free." Well when it came time for him to tell his story on the stand, he didn't wouldn't couldn't and shouldn't. Because basically the story is he is dirty.

Take out Blago and insert Jeremy: 'can't wait to tell the whole story cause the whole story shall set me free.' Shame on the media for giving him air time. There are 1001 ways that he is wrong. But basically he says:

He is just counting on how gullible people really are. Yea? Look at how many people believe the claptrap that comes from the mouths of Beck, Trump and Palin, not to mention I-don't-know-the-first-thing-about-history Bachman...I rest my case.

You think that NASCAR is going to back down from suspending Mayfield for meth if they found out that their testing company is suspect?

That's a pretty big IF - Aegis labs is the industry leader in drug testing, with not only a sterling reputation, but with more than 20,000 meth cases and not a single one has ever been overturned or proved to be false.